I may be shifted: J&K Governor

Governor Satya Pal Malik hinted on Wednesday that he may be shifted out of Jammu and Kashmir following his remarks that New Delhi wanted to see Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone as Chief Minister.

Speaking at a function marking the death anniversary of senior Congress leader Girdhari Lal Dogra here, Malik said: "As long as I am here, I'm here. It is not in my hands. But the threat of transfer is there.

"I don't know when I will be transferred from here. I will not lose my job, but as long as I am here, I assure the people that whenever you call me, I will come."

Malik publicly admitted on November 24 in Gwalior that had he looked for directions from Delhi on how to tackle the political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, he would have had to install BJP-backed Sajad Lone as the Chief Minister.

But he did not want to do that, Malik said.

Following his remarks, Raj Bhawan issued a statement saying that while dissolving the state Assembly, the Governor took an objective and impartial decision.

"There was no pressure or any kind of intervention from the Centre in the entire matter and some news channels are misinterpreting the Governor's statement and putting things out of context to convey that there was pressure from the central government," the statement said.

Amid reports that the PDP, National Conference and the Congress were close to forming an alliance to stake claim to power in the state, Malik dissolved the Assembly on November 21.

--IANS

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